There was something special about the energy in Emerson Suites last Thursday as Talib Kweli took up the mic not to rap, as some students had expected, but to discuss the hip-hop industry and the role of the artist in society.

Some students arrived nearly an hour early, worried they wouldnt be able to get a seat, only to walk into an empty Emerson Suites where they camped out with laptops, spreading scarves and jackets across seats to save places for friends. I was one of them, perched amongst a group of girls who, for the most part, knew only that Kweli was a famous rapper  easily conflated with his popular contemporary, Lupe Fiasco. As we waited, Wikipedia filled in the blanks.

Evidently Talib means student in Arabic; Kweli Swahili for true. He grew up the son of professors in Park Slope, Brooklyn. In the early 2000s he gained notoriety as half of Black Star, along with MC Mos Def. Eventually boredom gave way to the usual conversations that arise when someone famous is on their way.

--snip--

A few others sent text messages encouraging friends to come, some with more success than others. As it would turn out, cell phone autocorrect doesnt recognize the name Talib. It wants to change it to Taliban.

--snip--

Senior Gipsy Fernandez approached the mic frustrated with her generation and eager to move forward.

I dont know if we need another black power movement, or Chicano movement, a womens liberation movement do you think were missing that in our generation? And who do we look to for inspiration?

Kweli was hopeful. The Malcolm Xs, the Stokely Carmichaels Theyre there in this audience, but it becomes us people older than them to stoke their genius and their creative vibe.(continued)

Sounds like they’re looking for a movement to be involved in for the attention and camaraderie to make themselves feel important not for the actual purpose of supporting a cause they believe in. Without inspiration, passion, and devotion to a cause you believe in it’s just attention whoring which this generation of students and O’ supporters seem to crave so much...

Socialism needs a revolution. The details don’t matter as long as it sows chaos and lets the lowest types grab power. The little people doing the revolting are called “useful idiots” because they’re playing their roles not knowing what they’re really getting.

10
posted on 02/17/2013 4:31:55 AM PST
by Telepathic Intruder
(The only thing the Left has learned from the failures of socialism is not to call it that)

Ah, that’s a good point. You mean people like Soros? It’s not so mysterious. These are the ones who will make a smooth transition to socialism, gaining political power on top of economic power. Success in a socialism is based on your rank in government. How many politicians do you think Soros has in his pocket?

13
posted on 02/17/2013 4:45:27 AM PST
by Telepathic Intruder
(The only thing the Left has learned from the failures of socialism is not to call it that)

There’s something in those comments that desrves attention. I think people, especially young people, are tired of nihlism. Sex and pleasure hasnt lived up to their promise. They yearn for something real. An outbusrt of true passion would do us good. We’re in a fog, a dulldrum. We need revival.

14
posted on 02/17/2013 4:46:09 AM PST
by demshateGod
(The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)

A revival, as in a return to the ‘60’s? Look how that turned out. They thought they could change the world with enough protests, enough mass consciousness, enough free love. Then came the drugs, the violence born of frustration. The idealism of communism and its dictators. It couldn’t have turned out any other way because you can’t change the world based on a false perception of what it should be. Embracing reality is revival enough in itself.

17
posted on 02/17/2013 5:04:46 AM PST
by Telepathic Intruder
(The only thing the Left has learned from the failures of socialism is not to call it that)

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.